Logistics & Accomidation

My job is a long ways from home. I could get to and from work without my wife’s help but with her help I get back at least an hour a day while she loses an hour a day. I love her for it and try and spend that hour with her.
My job has not been without problems, I have totally accommodated myself. The employers processes for accommodation would have been utterly demoralizing and humiliating. Its like going to the eye doctor every time to have it determined your blind. I’m blind, O.K. this is what I need to work lets get on with it. No instead there was going to be this big dramatic exercise, an assessment, a determination by experts. Have you tried this BIG lined paper or this FAT pen? Or we do this for others who ask so it otta be good for you. Living with my disability as long as I have and doing the work I’ve done I know what I need. Its all well intended I guess but ultimately the fact that I had to totally accommodate myself kinda frustrates me. It makes me wonder if I’m valued.
Accommodation at work is a one to one equation if your accommodated at work you’ll continue to work and want to work at the organization. Disabled people need more feedback more investment to stay totally engaged and committed. This doesn’t mean spending money it means spending time, check in, whats working whats not, what can we do about it. Disability isn’t static and accommodation isn’t either, things break, new things come out, work changes, the disability changes.
A kink in logistics sets you in crisis. Can I do this job? Am I valued? They didn’t accommodate me? They don’t want me? I hate being disabled!!! I hate that I can drive or do this on my own!!!! Blah Blah Blah. You get the picture. Its unfortunate but these emotions happen. Deal with them. Breath, work was going fine before it will keep going fine. Breath, you are valued at work and they appreciate what your doing. Breach, everything will be O.K. the kink in the logistics will work itself out. Its all good.
I just want to contribute I want to work. I love my current job and its worth me working through these feelings of mine. Yesterday I had some screws taken out of my ankle the screws were used to stabilize things when I had to have the ankle rebuilt from a nasty break. I’m embarrassed the break happened when I wasn’t using a white cane, my fault entirely. Don’t worry I looked around the other day and I have white canes everywhere it was nice to see. I was concerned that the surgery to get the screws out would have put me back into a cast or a boot for a few months. No thank goodness I could walk immediately after surgery. Not too far as the surgical wound is still oozing but that will take care of itself over the next day or two. I was terrified that with the surgery and the loos of my commuter train station I’d feel I couldn’t work where I’m working. It would have been a lot or too much.
My wife gives me shit, rightfully so, for not letting her help or take care of me sometimes. I’m better than I was being militantly independent now I’m only stupidly independent. The difference being I won’t beat you up or yell at you for helping me now. I’ll even laugh at my silly stubbornness when you say let me help you. I’ll sometimes even let you help me.
Accommodation and logistics and continued due diligence to ensure your disability is managed is paramount. Its not necessarily the job the activity the thing you like to do that’s the problem its the stuff involved with doing it. I’m so glad that I have a job I love, really love it, as sick as that sounds. Its allowed me to process a few things. Self accommodation is O.K. accommodating myself lets me do a job I love. Don’t take it personally when those who are tasked with enforcing the rules tell you you can’t. Generally accommodation and logistics issues need to be escalated and accommodation or managing of logistics in my experience it depends on the people in those leadership positions. If after escalating an issue with no success then you can think they don’t want me to work at my potential. Then it up to you, leave or sue them. I’ve done both sometimes one course is justified over the other.
Logistics logistics, I have a number of colleagues at work who offered to ether come to my house or drive me to and from another commuter station. A new friend of mine, Papa Poo Bear, took me through the process of getting to the new station, now I’m good to go. Its always the fear and trepidation around the first time, nothing that a little orientation and mobility will fix. So thankfully I’m open to the help of others allowing them to help me. It takes a lot of pressure off having to pretend or try to be militantly independent.